One way to photograph an object you want to sell is to place it in a small light box and brightly light it up. A light box is a small open framed structure which has a back drop and bright lights attached to it. Think of it as a mini photography studio. Building a light box is actually a simple task. The most important part of this project is the frame which can be built out of materials you find in your home.
Size
The most important decision you will need to make is how big your light box needs to be. This will depend on the average size of the objects you will be photographing. The box should be slightly bigger than these objects. If the box is too big, you will not be able to shine the light on the object brightly enough to get a good picture. If it is too small, you will not be able to photograph the object completely. Think about what size you need before buying the materials.
Materials
Materials are also an important part of your decision. You want to have something lightweight enough to be able to move easily, yet be sturdy enough to hold the back drop and the lights which you will be attaching to it. Wood is one solution, but it can be bulky and, depending on the type of wood you choose to use, be heavy. Another option is to build the light box frame from PVC pipe. This will provide a lightweight frame that is not only sturdy but that can easily come apart to store. PVC pipe can, however, can become damaged if you are not careful with it.
Construction
Start by building a frame from four pieces of your material. If you are using wood, just screw these pieces together. With PVC pipe, attach the rectangle together with "T" junctions on all four corners. This gives you a place to attach the leg pieces to. Next, build your leg pieces. These should be "L" shaped and all the same height. Wood makes this easy as you just have to hammer in two boards together, making sure they are at right angles to each other. For PVC pipe, just connect the pipes with "L" brackets. Finally, attach the legs to the frame so that the shorter part of the "L" is attached to the frame and the longer part is lifting the frame from the ground. After this is complete, attach your choice of background and hang lights from the structure.
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